Exercise DVD Review: Amy Dixon Raise Some Bell

I just started teaching kettlebell classes at the Dance Center and I am getting my certification next month, so I've been scowering the internet for Kettlebell workouts. One of the DVDs I ordered is Amy Dixon's Raise Some Bell.

From Amazon.com

I love Amy Dixon's Breathless Body workouts, so I thought I'd try her kettlebell dvd. One thing I love about Amy's workouts is that they are HARD. No joke. Her breathless body workouts made me want to puke. In a good way, of course. Not everyone likes HARD. If you don't - I don't suggest her videos unless you are ok with modifying and taking longer breaks, less reps, etc.

The DVD is a 40 minute total body cardio/toning workout with the kettlebell. There is a kettlebell 101 segment if you want to learn proper form/holds. There is also a 10 minute Core segment.

I have to admit, I couldn't really do the entire 40 minutes when I started. It is seriously hard. I used a 10lb bell at first and now I use a 15 for almost the entire thing. I do think it's a little more advanced, so if it's your first time using a kettlebell, I recommend Jillian Michael's Shred video instead. I think that is more do-able for a beginner or someone new to kettlebell. However, if you've been using your bell for awhile and are ready to take it to the next level, Amy's your girl.

One thing that made this video stand out was how high she gets your heartrate going with her moves. She incorporates a kettlebell burpee, lots of wood chops with the bell, and lots of great core work. I really enjoyed the high intensity of the video. Be ready to sweat and don't fret if you can't do the whole thing. The only move I really didn't like was the "around the world" type rotation where you are swinging the bell and doing a walking rotation at the same time. I feel like that move would invite injury and improper form for most kettlebell'ers/

Overall, I would give this workout a 5 out of 5 stars! Great for midlevel to advanced kettlebell'ers, but probably not for a beginner.